Berths in New Zealand Football's National League Championship (NLC) are filling up fast.
After last weekend's round of regional leagues, six of the 10 spots have been filled for spring's national championship season, with Wellington Olympic clinching a Central League four-peat.
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The Greeks defeated Wellington rivals Miramar Rangers 1-0 at David Farrington Park on Saturday on Hamish Watson's 89th-minute strike to secure a fourth consecutive regional title since the National League format changed in 2021.
It was the former Wellington Phoenix striker's 13th league goal of the season and lifted Olympic five points clear of second-placed Western Suburbs, who have just one match remaining.
Suburbs, courtesy of a 2-0 win over North Wellington in Round 16 at Porirua's Endeavour Park on Sunday, will also be present in the NLC from the Central League, as will the automatically-qualified (currently fifth-placed) Phoenix Reserves.
The Central's last NLC berth will come down to Napier City Rovers and Rangers. Rovers are three points up with two rounds remaining, although Miramar have a superior goal-difference should it come down to a countback.
Napier City could have effectively sealed their spot on Saturday but fell 1-0 to Petone on Stepjan Stipuric's 83rd-minute goal at Petone Memorial Park.
At the other end of the table, Stop Out will need a miracle to avoid relegation. They sit four points adrift of Island Bay United and North Wellington after a 2-1 loss to the WeeNix on Saturday.
Like Olympic, Auckland City are also within reach of securing their fourth straight Northern League title.
After flip-flopping the league lead with Birkenhead United in recent weeks, the Navy Blues moved five points clear with a pair of victories in Round 19.
City defeated Birkenhead 3-1 at Shepherds Park last Wednesday night, before taking care of Hamilton Wanderers 3-1 with late goals from Angus Kilkolly and Ryan de Vries at Kiwitea Street, moving them to 45 points.
Birkenhead beat Auckland United 4-2 at Keith Hay Park, with James Taylor scoring twice, to join Eastern Suburbs on 43 points, but two points in their final two matches will be enough for the Cityzens to seal the title.
But before they will get a chance to do that, the Chatham Cup semifinals beckon on Sunday (kick-off 2pm), with City hosting Birkenhead at Kiwitea Street. Coastal Spirit welcome Olympic to Christchurch in the other semifinal (kick-off 1pm).
Suburbs also secured two wins in Round 19 - 3-0 at Manurewa and 5-1 at Tauranga City - to locked up their NLC berth, leaving Western Springs (39 points) and Auckland United (31 points) to battle for the fourth and final place.
Hamilton clubs, Wanderers (10 points) and Melville (12 points) look set to be relegated, but Manurewa (16) and West Coast Rangers (18) are not safe yet.
Contrastingly, the two Southern League NLC places are still up for grabs with three rounds remaining, with leaders Cashmere Technical, Coastal Spirit and Christchurch United vying for them.
Cashmere got two goals from Yuya Taguchi and Matt Tod-Smith in a 6-1 victory over FC Twenty11 to move four points clear at the top with three matches left.
United beat Coastal 1-0 at Linfield Park on Sunday on Brendan Koplin’s 80th-minute goal, which saw them overtake the Coasters on goal-difference.
Winless and point-less FC Twenty11 look destined for relegation, although somehow could still overtake Selwyn United and UC Football.
Meanwhile, the intrigue in NRFL Women's Premier is around positions third, fourth and fifth.
With two places in the Women’s National League Championship at stake, Western Springs, Fencibles United and Eastern Suburbs are separated by just two points with three matches to play.
Western Springs (27 points) moved to the top of the pack with a 2-0 win over Ellerslie, while Suburbs (25) were upset by Hibiscus Coast 3-0 at home and Fencibles (26) drew 1-1 with leaders Auckland United.
Already qualified for the WNLC, West Coast Rangers pulled within four points of United with a 5-0 victory at Hamilton Wanderers, featuring two goals from Anelise Karakostas.
NZF NATIONAL LEAGUE RESULTS
NORTHERN LEAGUE - ROUND 19
Auckland City 3 Birkenhead United 1
Eastern Suburbs 3 Manurewa 0
West Coast Rangers 1 Bay Olympics 0
Eastern Suburbs 5 Tauranga City 1
Auckland City 3 Hamilton Wanderers 1
Melville United 4 Manurewa 2
Birkenhead United 4 Auckland United 2
Western Springs 2 East Coast Bays 2
CENTRAL LEAGUE - ROUND 16
Petone 1 Napier City Rovers 0
Wellington Olympic 1 Miramar Rangers 0
Phoenix Reserves 2 Stop Out 1
Waterside Karori 1 Island Bay United 0
Western Suburbs 2 North Wellington 0
SOUTHERN LEAGUE - ROUND 15
Dunedin City Royals 2 FC Twenty11 1
Cashmere Technical 6 UC Football 1
Ferrymead Bays 4 Selene United 2
Nelson Suburbs 2 Nomads United 2
Christchurch United 1 Coastal Spirit 0
NRFL WOMEN'S PREMIER - ROUND 18
West Coast Rangers 5 Hamilton Wanderers 0
Hibiscus Coast 3 Eastern Suburbs 0
Fencibles United 1 Auckland United 1
Western Springs 2 Ellerslie 0
WOMEN'S CENTRAL LEAGUE - ROUND 12
Wellington United 2 Moturoa 0
Waterside Karori 4 Seatoun 1
Palmerston North Marist 5 Victoria University 0
Taradale 3 Petone 1
WOMEN'S SOUTH ISLAND LEAGUE - ROUND 7
Otago University 2 Coastal Spirit 2
Dunedin City Royals 3 Roslyn Wakari 0
Nelson Suburbs vs Cashmere Technical cancelled
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